Louise Cooper

Derbyshire families spend an average of £96 per child to keep them happy on holiday, a new survey has found.

And on top of that, almost 20% of families are willing to spend a further £17 on additional treats such as sweets and fizzy drinks, bringing the total dent in the wallet to £112.

Ice creams and seaside toys are among the top holiday treats.

The survey, carried out by Voucherbox.co.uk, also found that 45 per cent of parents are spending less on themselves when they are away than on their kids.

And the research showed that 38% opt for self-catering to keep costs down while 30% choose for all-inclusive deals.

When it comes to favourite purchases, traditional treats such as ice cream (18%), buckets and spades and inflatables (15%) are the most popular ways to keep the kids happy on holiday. These are in favour of more “day-to-day rewards” such as paying for additional WiFi (3%) and purchasing mobile games (4%), which sit at the bottom of the list.

Sezer Yurdakul, Global Head of Online Marketing at Voucherbox stated; “British families are forking out disproportionate amounts to keep the kids entertained on holiday. Planning activities and daily spending money beforehand will help keep the budget under control.

"It’s interesting to see that the spend for all-inclusive can be the same as self-catering. This shows how important it is to work out the average cost per meal before booking to see if it’s actually worth the money. Of course, there’s always great savings to be made online.”